Archaeology News reports that analysis of ancient grape DNA indicates cultivated vines from the eastern Mediterranean were introduced to the Iberian Peninsula roughly 3,000 years ago, supporting a major role for Phoenician settlers rather than a later Roman introduction. Researchers analysed 28 ancient grape seeds from Spanish and Sardinian archaeological sites and found that imported domesticated vines crossed with local wild grapes, helping create distinctive Iberian wine-grape lineages. Some genetic connections endured for centuries, including links to varieties still grown today, giving researchers new evidence for the continuity and evolution of Iberian viticulture.